A/N (a.k.a. mood killer): Uploaded before school! YEAH!

EDIT: 5/10/13: Happy anniversary, Space and Time! Also, go to my profile and check out the Reader's Guidebook to accompany this story and Illuminate!


Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Battleship Halberd


~*Evening of the Second Day*~


When Lucas turned back around, Meta Knight and Marth were already peering around the nearest corner.

Squirtle chattered quietly as it got a feel for the cool, grooved steel underfoot. Red quickly put a hand over its mouth to silence the Pokémon. After receiving a commanding stare from Red, it nodded. The trainer himself allowed some time to take in the claustrophobic space and faint scent of oil.

Marth waved to the others as Meta Knight moved on, signalling that it was safe. Meta Knight led them on, then slowed and stopped short of a T-intersection, next to a small gas tank that was connected to the wall.

"Somebody keep an eye on our backs," Meta Knight requested over his shoulder.

Ike raised his hand to take up the responsibility, and promptly took a position behind the others.

Meta Knight held his breath as he looked down to the right, then the left. He held up a hand, and slipped around the corner alone. The others awaited his return. The subtle hum of the battleship's dormant engines ensued through their silence.

Clank.

Meta Knight soon reappeared and explained, "I disabled a spike trap. It's safe to proceed."

Red spotted a lever in the wall and a field of sealed, but otherwise despicably large holes in the floor as they pressed on. He saw Lucas eyeing the floor and hastily stepping around the holes.

They stopped at a dead end, save for a ladder that led to the darkened floor above through a square opening.

"We're approaching the main sections of the ship," Meta Knight said, "so our path will become more convoluted and our progress will be slowed considerably. I'll need help watching for traps that are of the enemy's design. There is also the possibility we'll set off an alarm."

"How much of a possibility?" Red dared.

"More than likely." The Pokémon trainer and Lucas next to him stiffened. "In the event of an ambush, deftness will be our asset. But I'll make sure to avoid the busiest areas."

Suddenly, they were all jerked off balance and onto the vibrating metal floor. Squirtle squawked in fright and retreated into its shell. Red grabbed it before it slid out of reach, wincing after a painful tingle erupted from his elbow when it hit the floor.

"Deftness..." Ike muttered, barely audible over the roar of the Halberd. Though his head was still spinning, he eventually registered that Lucas had fallen on top of him.

The younger boy scrambled off him and quickly asked, "Were we found?"

"No, the ship is merely lifting off," Meta Knight said as he picked himself up and gripped the ladder's nearest rung. "Keep steady until it levels out."

While the others remained glued in position, Meta Knight climbed the ladder and leaned over the top rung to scout. Marth tried to make himself a little more comfortable by nudging Red's foot away, which, after their tumble, had been hovering dangerously close to his face.

Squirtle finally peeked out of its shell when Meta Knight descended from the upper floor. The masked knight waited a long moment for the floor to level out before beckoning the others to move.

Retreat was no longer an option.

They were slightly surprised at the increased spaciousness of the next passage, but with that came the more pronounced dread of being seen. The additional clatter of nearby vents kept them on high alert to hear the slightest sound.

They took a left turn, then a right. After they continued straight for a particularly long time, Ike looked back and saw fire burst out from the right of the previous four-way intersection.

"Take cover," he hissed, ushering them into the closest nook in the steel wall.

Another tank was embedded into the corner and the space was small, but just enough to keep them concealed.

"What did you see?" Meta Knight asked, keeping his voice down.

"Something breathed fire. It might be headed our way on a patrol or something."

"At least it had the manners to herald its presence," Marth commented as he slipped past to sneak a look down the passage. He paused there before saying, "I hear footsteps; this one is not trying to be inconspicuous."

"If it approaches us, Squirtle can extinguish it," Red offered.

Said Pokémon chirped proudly and held its head higher. It waddled over to take a cautious peek to the right, after which it gazed at its trainer with excited eyes while dancing on its paws.

Red lowered himself to his knees, pulled Squirtle back behind the wall, and said, "Get ready to use Water Gun."

"Squirtle."

The group was blanketed in silence from that moment, and they kept their eyes glued to the passage. The footfalls gradually grew louder, though they were intermittent and sometimes replaced with the shuffle of presumably unsteady feet.

A startling plume of red and orange heat exploded from just around the corner. The group recoiled, all except for Squirtle, which bristled itself in preparation.

As soon as the flame's owner appeared, a jet of water dowsed the humanoid figure and forced it against the wall. Before it could recover, Squirtle – on command – finished it off with a swift Withdraw.

"A Fire Primid," Meta Knight said as Squirtle dashed back into the nook. "I had my suspicions. Fortunately, it was not something any more formidable." With that, he checked that the coast was clear and ventured out of the nook. The others followed suit.

*.*.*.*.*

"Hey, don't fall asleep."

Lucas blinked at the hand in his face. Red seemed to be trying to wave away his drowsiness.

"I'm tired too, but we have to keep moving."

"I know," Lucas murmured. He jolted when Squirtle brushed past his leg.

There was a thud – Ike had flattened himself against the wall.

"I thought I saw something move," he whispered.

The others strained to spot anything suspicious down the way they'd come.

"Don't worry... false alarm."

A figurative collective sigh escaped them.

Marth turned around and asked, "So which way?" He had noticed their guide was taking longer than usual to confirm their route.

"Either," Meta Knight responded, "but each passes by one of two important rooms. I'm deciding which to check first."

"What rooms would they be?"

"One of the —"

"What's that?" Marth suddenly said, louder than he'd intended to. After sobering quickly, he nodded toward the left fork of the intersection.

Meta Knight followed the Altean's line of sight and stared intently. He slowly peeled himself away from the wall to get a better look at the substance in question.

Purple fog was slithering out from a low vent, across the floor and disappearing under the closed door at the corridor's end.

"One of the rooms houses the secondary switch board," Meta Knight finished. By this time, the others had also seen what he had. "There's no knowing what the fog will do – come on."

He led the way, throwing caution to the wind and crossing an intersection without so much as a second glance. The others followed in a hurry; Marth and Ike were particularly flustered.

The door parted automatically to reveal the room behind it. Despite Meta Knight's urgency, it was – at first glance – an unremarkable space, with some large pipes running along the back corners and a bench next to the right-hand wall, beneath a vent.

What caught their attention, however, were the two cages suspended from the ceiling. In each, a trophified person was contained.

To their shock, the fog snaked its way up the walls, then back down again along the chains the cages hung from. It slid across the surfaces of the imprisoned trophies and pooled on the floor in a pulsating mound that grew more and more human as time passed.

Limbs formed and features developed. What stood before them were two females enrobed in violet haze – copies of the caged ones.

"No way," Red breathed as he stared. The door clanked shut behind them.

"Who are you?" Ike spoke warily, fairly convinced that the purple aura the girls were exuding was not a good sign.

The blond one faced him in response, glaring at him like a wild predator. Her formidably amber eyes met his and Ike felt a creeping fear shoot through him. It froze him, and Ragnell slipped from his limp hand. The echoing clatter of his blade did not attract his attention.

"Princess Peach," the girl answered in an unnaturally distorted voice.

She lunged at him.

Upon False Peach's sudden movement, the enchantment broke and Ike jerked back to reality. He cried out and threw himself to the floor, but Meta Knight snapped into action and sent Peach across the room with three sword slices. She slid across the floor and stopped at the bottom of the leftmost wall. While she was struggling back up, Ike grabbed Ragnell and spluttered, "What happened to me?"

"Did she cast a spell on you?" Marth asked.

"I don't know. Just don't look into her eyes."

"Too late."

"I am Princess Zelda," the other girl was saying to Lucas, whom had also gotten trapped by her gaze, "and you shall fall."

Instead of hurling herself at the wide-eyed Lucas as Peach had done, she stood her ground and flung a fireball at him.

"Waterfall!" Red commanded.

Squirtle summoned a wall of water from underneath itself and cancelled out False Zelda's attack.

"Now, Water Spout!"

Unexpectedly, Zelda conjured a blue shield that reflected Squirtle's attack. Lucas and Red were barely able to stay on their feet, but Squirtle was thrown into the wall. It was able to shake itself off and recover.

"The odds are in our favour*," Marth proclaimed, brandishing Falchion at their opponents. "You have picked a fight with the wrong people."

"I doubt they're rational beings," Ike quipped as he spotted Peach, who had pulled a frying pan out from a place unknown and was closing in to attack.

"It was worth a — whoa!"

Peach swung her weapon at Marth's head, but he blocked it with his blade and shoved her arm away. He attempted a vertical slice, only for his attack to be deflected by a surprisingly powerful swing of the frying pan. Peach kicked him in the abdomen and he rammed into the wall, feeling the wind get knocked out of him.

While Marth was incapacitated, Ike stepped in and beat False Peach back with Ragnell. She successfully blocked one attack, then another. But by the third block, her strength was giving out, so Ike was not startled when the pan tumbled out of her hands on the fourth and landed underneath the bench. He elbowed her in the head and knocked her to the floor. She managed to roll out of the way of Ike's downward stab and trip him in the process.

False Peach crawled over madly to retrieve her weapon, but just as her fingers wrapped around it, Marth replicated Ike's last attack and sealed her defeat. Once the dazzle of light had died away, the trophified False Peach disintegrated into fog and disappeared. Ike and Marth turned their attention to the other side of the room.

False Zelda was proving a significantly more difficult foe. Though Lucas, Red and Meta Knight had landed a few attacks, she was still standing, and engaging them in an increasingly haphazard battle. The two blue-haired swordsmen kept their distance.

"We need to coordinate our attacks!" Meta Knight yelled as he leapt clear of Lucas's PK Freeze.

"Sorry!" Lucas yelped, holding back a PK Thunder.

"You mean take turns?" Red said. He watched as Squirtle darted away from Meta Knight as he attempted a drill-like move.

False Zelda dropped her guard while trying to recover and was thrown back by Squirtle's powerful headbutt.

"Perhaps we should call out our moves," Meta Knight suggested. He took to the air and shouted, "Shuttle Loop!" He pulled a mid-air loop and darted towards Zelda, who narrowly dodged his blade.

"PK Thunder!" Lucas yelled, sending a ball of electricity in Zelda's general direction. It sailed past her head, but as Red commanded a Water Spout, Lucas pulled his own attack into a U-turn. It hit Zelda while she was recuperating from dodging the Water Spout.

"Drill Rush!" Meta Knight reattempted his earlier move and successfully got it to connect.

"Withdraw!" Red cried. Zelda's defences had completely fallen apart, so Squirtle took the time to gather its strength and bowl her over. She flew across the room and slammed into a closed cabinet near the back of the room, creating a large dent in the metal surface.

"Now I am certain we've lost our element of stealth," said Meta Knight. "She hit the power board."

Lucas threw a blistering fireball at False Zelda as she struggled to her feet. The attack forced her back down, so Squirtle quickly followed up with another Water Spout.

Meta Knight dashed across the room with Galaxia raised and shouted, "I'll take her!" The others held back their attacks as he engaged Zelda in close combat.

She managed to dodge one attack and deflect another with a magically-strengthened arm. She twirled around and knocked Meta Knight back with another blue shield, but he shook it off and tackled her roughly. One moment, they were lying in a heap against the wall. The next, there was a flash.

When the others opened their eyes, a lone figure remained, obscured by mist.

Meta Knight, though dazed and sore, managed to stay perfectly still as he waited for the purple fog that had once composed False Zelda to dissipate. After giving the others a quick thumbs-up, he got to his feet and walked over to the cabinet to inspect the damage.

"Is everybody alright?" Marth asked, regarding his allies with concern.

Three simultaneous replies of "Yes" rested any worries.

"That's good."

"Do any of you know them?" Red asked, pointing at the two cages.

"I'm afraid not."

Ike and Lucas shook their heads.

"Then there's only one way to find out who they are, though I hope they don't attack us," Ike said lightly.

"Will you avert your gaze from the ladies this time?" Marth joked, nudging him.

Ike shoved him in return.

"Disproportionate retribution is not noble." Marth laughed.

A loud slam startled them into thinking that Meta Knight had gotten fed up with their behaviour.

"Sorry, I'm still checking the components," the squat knight apologised as he fiddled with the power board. "Some of the switches have been damaged."

"Such as?" Lucas inquired.

"A few lights and air vents are offline and the corresponding switches are unusable. Other than that, there is nothing pressing…" He looked over the board again. "Oh dear."

"What?" the others said.

"Most of the vents passing by the bridge have been switched off. Main cannon number two is also offline. Whoever is at the helm is going to notice."

"But what about the prisoners?" Ike asked, sensing Meta Knight's rising haste. "We should free them before we leave. They might even prove useful."

The others waited in silence for Meta Knight's response.

"Very well. I'll sever the chains so we can free both quickly."

He shut the cabinet, flew up to one cage and sliced its suspension chain with one smooth movement, letting it crash to the floor. He moved onto the second one as Marth approached the first one to saw off the lock with Falchion. Red and Lucas hovered next to him as he did so.

"I feel inadequate using this blade for such a purpose," Marth muttered. He removed the lock, let the door swing open, and pulled out the trophy within.

The other cage landed with a metallic clatter.

"She looks like a princess," Red commented, noticing the intricate designs of the woman's elegant dress.

"Perhaps she is, perhaps she isn't," Marth contemplated.

"Want to bet?"

"I'd rather not."

"There we go," Ike said as he brought out the other trophy. "What do you bet they knew each other?"

"Enough with the bets." Marth shook his head.

"Huh?" Ike wondered obliviously. "Actually, never mind." He stepped away from the trophy as Meta Knight moved forward.

"On the count of three," he said, nodding to the Altean. "One, two, three."

They shielded their eyes, and were greeted with the sight of two confused females.

"Ugh, my head…" the one in the dress moaned quietly, clutching her forehead. The other one, who happened to be more ordinarily clothed, was silent and sitting with her eyes half shut, until she rubbed her face and forced herself to attention. At the exact same time, their eyes widened and they cried out.

"Where am I?!"

Lucas and Red exchanged glances and moved back to give them some room.

"Zelda?"

"Peach?"

The two new arrivals stared at each other, looking even more shocked than before.

Ike cleared his throat loudly and begun, "Sorry to interrupt, but…"

"Oh!" Peach shot to her feet, only for her to double over and massage her head. "I-I'm sorry," she managed to say quietly.

"Careful, there." Zelda gingerly moved over to help Peach up, regarding her own fading headache. She raised her head and it took her a moment to find her voice. "Did you help us?"

"You were trophified and left in cages," Meta Knight replied. Zelda blinked and her eyes travelled, looking for the voice's owner. He noticed, but continued, "We freed you, but not before fighting some false versions of yourselves."

"False?" Zelda finally found Meta Knight and paused, then nodded in understanding. "It has happened before." She looked slightly downcast.

Peach, in the meantime, had cleared her head and was now steady. She thanked Zelda softly and turned to the five warriors. "Who are you?"

"We're in a slight dilemma at the moment, so we'd like to move out soon," Marth replied. "But I'm Marth, and here are Ike, Meta Knight, Red and Lucas." He pointed to each respective ally.

"Your false versions proved a difficult match," Ike spoke up. "Are we correct to judge you two based on that?"

Peach stifled a giggle and said, "Is that a compliment?"

"It's the truth."

"The point is," Meta Knight interjected, "we are attempting to regain control of this battleship. Where do your allegiances lie? Are you two fit to join our efforts?"

Peach's eyes widened slightly and she looked at Zelda.

"If you're not able, we could leave you in this room. However, our fight has surely attracted the attention of the ship's occupants and they may be here soon. Then you would have to fend for yourselves."

A heavy silence ensued.

"We pledge allegiance not to whomever is steering this ship because they are likely allied to those who captured us," Zelda said slowly.

"Our own allies are elsewhere," Peach added. "Only the stars know where they are..."

"We shall accompany you," Zelda decided. "If what you said of our false counterparts is true, then maybe we'll be of some use."

Peach nodded silently in agreement.

"Good," Meta Knight said. "Let's move. It's a race against time from here." He started toward the door.

"If you have any important questions, ask away," Ike said to Peach and Zelda. "Once this is over, we can settle down and straighten things out." He stepped aside to let them pass.

Peach retrieved her frying pan, and they walked by. Marth, Red and Lucas regrouped with Ike before exiting the room after them.

Meta Knight was lurking around the closest intersection when the whole group caught up.

"I hear the forces moving," he murmured. "We must move quickly."

He slipped around the corner with Galaxia unsheathed and led them down the passage at a jog.

"Where are we headed?" Peach asked distractedly. She was preoccupied with keeping the hem of her dress off the floor and keeping a watchful eye on where her feet were going, lest she trip.

"To the bridge," Red replied from behind her. "Meta Knight says we can disable all enemy functions from there."

"Could we hold on for a second?" Zelda said as she stopped to the side of the corridor.

"Why?" Meta Knight questioned over his shoulder. He and the others slowed to a halt.

"I can assume a more agile form."

"...Make it quick."

Zelda made some room for herself and twirled on the spot. She was shrouded in light for a moment, before reappearing in a shower of sparkles. Her long hair had lightened to a dirty blonde and was now in a plait, and her loose clothes had been replaced by a shapely suit with an eye-shaped, blood red symbol on the front. A scarf hid most of her face and a knife was strapped to a belt on her back.

All of them, including Meta Knight, seemed to be impressed to varying degrees by Zelda's alter ego.

"I'll explain later," she said, eyes now a piercing crimson. "All I ask for is your trust."

"In this form, you may call her Sheik," Peach added. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"We should hurry."

And they did. Fortunately without being attacked, they ascended another ladder and weaved their way through the passages, which were reverting to more narrow proportions. Their route grew more hazardous along the way, requiring Meta Knight to disable more traps and the party to edge around webs of levitating spheres that the knight identified as Quark Mines.

"Stay alert," he urged. "We are bound to run into an enemy soon."

On the run, Red swapped out the tiring Squirtle for Charizard while the others readied their weapons.

"A lift will take us to the bridge. It is just ahead."

Just as Meta Knight fixed his eyes ahead again, a wall of flame erupted from the next intersection about five metres away. Peach let out a shriek and slammed on the breaks, pulling Zelda back with her.

"Quiet!" Meta Knight hissed, signalling for the party to halt. "We should try to avoid encounters when possible."

Peach nodded quickly with her mouth clamped shut.

"Is it another Fire Primid?" Lucas asked.

"Possibly," Red said. "Luckily I didn't have Ivysaur out."

Meta Knight hushed him and ushered the party back to where Peach and Zelda were. They listened hard to their uninvited company.

"It sounds like a whole squad," Ike whispered. "There are weird humming noises as well."

"That's no good," Marth said. "There are no nearby places to hide either. We have to ambush them."

Peach opened her mouth as if to protest, then closed it again. Zelda fingered her knife anxiously.

"One huge explosion might work if they're close enough together, right?" Lucas questioned.

A quick dazzle of light told them that Zelda had reverted to her true form.

"It should," she said. "I can help"

"Charizard is up to it," Red contributed on behalf of said Pokémon.

"Me too." Lucas raised a hand.

"Then go quickly," Meta Knight said, stepping aside.

The four shuffled forward, stopping just two feet short of the intersection.

"At the same time," Zelda whispered to her collaborators. She flexed her gloved hands and a fireball popped to life while Lucas conjured up a similar PSI spell. They allowed their fireballs to swell.

"Use Fire Blast, okay?" Red instructed Charizard. The Pokémon snorted in response and bristled in anticipation, then slid to the front for the others' safety.

They waited, the seconds becoming more drawn out until the sudden cough of a motor from around the corner signalled their moment to strike. Meanwhile, Ike looked over his shoulder and his blood ran cold for the second time that evening.

"Now!" Red called. Charizard arched its back and opened its maw wide, unleashing a brilliant torrent of flames. Zelda and Lucas's fireballs had grown enormous, and added to the explosive inferno.

Amidst the din of the onslaught, Ike bellowed something unintelligible and tackled the closest person to him, who happened to be Marth. As the two swordsmen collided painfully with the metal wall, they shied away from the light that flooded their vision.

"Ow!" Something was slammed into another wall.

"—ucas?!"

"—lda, watch out!"

"—s trophified!"

Blinking away his dizziness, Ike raised his head at the mention of trophification. His focus rested on a distinct silvery shape some way up the corridor.

"What was that for?" Marth beside him slurred as he wiped his face.

"Something charged at us from behind," Ike responded.

It took them both a short while to recover, but when they did they were met with a horrible shock. The lifeless silver figure was that of Meta Knight's. The others were caught up in a cacophony of fire and shrieks, trying to fend off unprecedented enemy forces while simultaneously defending the incapacitated Lucas, who was slumped against the opposite wall near Meta Knight and struggling to get up.

Marth muttered something short and venomous under his breath, then he and Ike got to their feet.

"I'll keep on our backs and help out down here," Ike told him. "You go on ahead and help those two." He pointed to Meta Knight and Lucas.

Marth nodded, and they hastened up the passage.

"You're alright!" Zelda exclaimed breathlessly between attacks as Ike stopped beside her, Peach and Red.

"We are," he replied, brandishing Ragnell in readiness.

"Is Marth helping Lucas out?" Red asked distraughtly as Charizard dispatched a scope-wielding Primid with a headbutt.

"He is."

The Pokémon trainer visibly relaxed.

"It's terrible!" Peach lamented from behind Zelda. "There are these vehicles and demonic things that came along with the Primate-whatchamacallits."

"Primids."

"Yes, those."

"Okay, got it. I'll take them." Ike turned to Zelda. "I'll try not to get in the way of your attacks."

The Hyrulean nodded hurriedly and cast a blue shield in front of them to block a wheeled enemy's advances. Ike flew forward and swung Ragnell over his head, letting it come down on the vehicle. Damaged, it retreated around the corner. Marth took the opportunity to cross the intersection.

Ike jumped back when a shadowy creature with blades for arms emerged as if from nowhere.

"Fall back," he commanded the others, eyeing the glinting metal appendages.

There was a blinding flash from in front. By the time it ended, Peach was on the floor several metres back, with the creature looming above her.

"By Din!" Zelda cried, and flung a fireball at the creature.

It flinched when the attack connected, but when it turned around it seemed merely annoyed, and charged at her. Ike leapt in front and got caught in a sword lock with the spindly-limbed creature. He pushed it back and ducked a frantic blade swipe, then swept his legs underneath it and brought it down. He blocked another attack and kicked it in the abdomen, then stabbed it with Ragnell.

It disintegrated into purple fog and vanished.

Meanwhile, Charizard and Lucas were engaged in battle with a small tank-like vehicle with a disproportionally menacing lance.

"That's the thing that attacked Meta Knight!" Ike yelled out of impulse.

Red turned to face the mercenary and consequently lowered his guard.

"Red!" Ike ran forward, but knew he was not fast enough. Marth hollered.

However, the tank was unexpectedly encased in ice before it could reach the Pokémon trainer. Its lance had halted mere inches from Red, whom was shielding his face with his arms. The revived Meta Knight swiftly followed up Lucas's PK Freeze with a Drill Rush. Red was brought back to attention when he was showered with ice shards.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Not yet," Meta Knight said. He and Ike advanced on the tank and downed it with a few powerful smashes.

He sidestepped a Roader's breakneck rush as it came down the perpendicular passage. The vehicle pulled a U-turn to try again, but Lucas intercepted it with a PK Freeze, which allowed Marth to finish it off.

Zelda, who had transformed back into Sheik and was helping Peach along, approached the others.

"Are they gone?" she asked.

"It seems so," Marth replied. He saw Peach and inquired, "Is she alright?"

"She is. It's all just a little shocking."

Peach nodded delicately in confirmation.

"Enemy approaching!" Meta Knight yelled abruptly, pointing Galaxia down the perpendicular corridor. "We can make it to the bridge if we move right now!"

An anguished, otherworldly scream accentuated his urgency.

"Clear out!" Ike cried, ushering the others in front of him and consequently bringing up the party's rear. Meta Knight unfurled his wings and shot ahead, preparing the lift for its passengers.

"Return!" Red called the bulky Charizard back into its Poké Ball while managing to keep up with Lucas and Marth alongside him.

Meta Knight watched the others approach, and saw a ghostly black beast appear from around the corner and hasten its pursuit. It screamed again.

Peach and Lucas each stifled a shriek, and the former broke away from Zelda to help them both move faster.

The lift at the end of the passage parted its doors. Meta Knight waved them in frantically and they filed into the rectangular space one after the other. Their guide threw one last glance over his shoulder before slipping inside and slamming a button on the panel to close the doors.

There was a metallic thud and a scream from the outside, followed by an unpleasant, incessant scraping on the doors that made them cover their ears.

They looked accusingly at Meta Knight.

"I thought you would appreciate the breather," he said sharply. Nevertheless, he pressed another button. "The lift will open up straight into the bridge, so do not blame me if you are not prepared for what must be faced. We have a few seconds." He leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.

They descended into awkward silence as the lift ascended and left the monster behind. The space was enough for one of them to stand in the middle and swing their arms around without fear of hitting anyone along the walls, but the anticipation for what lay ahead thickened the air around them.

"What do you think will be there?" Lucas whispered to Red.

The Pokémon trainer shrugged and released Ivysaur as a precaution.

Peach inhaled deeply, brushed off her dress and straightened herself out. Zelda laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a supportive smile.

The three swordsmen were silent.

A short ding accompanied by the flash of a small green light announced their arrival at their destination. A sudden gravity hit each one in the party. Was this all a trap? Were their 'allies' trustworthy? A thousand 'what ifs' bombarded them, but they knew one thing: friend and foe alike would be distinguished once and for all when they entered the bridge.

An abrupt few seconds of weightlessness overcame them.

"The ship is descending," Meta Knight explained curtly. "Watch your step."

He stepped forth. The doors opened, and the party seemed to collectively hold their breath.

The bridge lay before them. The whole front wall was essentially one paned window provided an unmatched view of the outside world. Numerous desks and consoles bordered the room.

At the helm and around the consoles were five humanoid beings. They were like living silhouettes, though they moved about jerkily.

"Fiends!" Meta Knight declared. He stepped out of the lift and the others followed. "I was once imprisoned by your accomplices, but now I have come to retake what is mine!"

The captain at the helm raised its head and turned. As it did so, it grew thinner.

"It's gone," Peach whispered.

"No, it's still there," Zelda replied in awe. "It's just paper-thin from this angle."

Meta Knight brandished his blade. "Surrender or fight," he challenged. "Speak your decision."

On this, the other beings stopped what they were doing and began moving about erratically. They did not speak a word – instead, beeps and trills escaped them as if they were talking among themselves.

Meta Knight grunted disapprovingly.

"I believe we are not getting our message across," Marth said, unimpressed.

As if it had heard him, the captain faced them and bent down as if to pick something up. To his surprise, Meta Knight found himself being flung backwards into the closed lift doors.

"So, they attacked first," Ike said, raising Ragnell. "Let's get this over with."

He went for the captain as his allies took care of the others. His paper-thin adversary was difficult to see head-on, so he approached from an angle and swung his sword at it horizontally.

Crash!

Ike shielded himself and a sinking feeling hit him, knowing what he'd done. The blast of wind that followed nearly bowled him over.

"Whoa!" he heard Red exclaim as he opened his eyes to the broken window in front of him.

Ike turned around slowly to check on the others, though was careful to avoid eye contact with Meta Knight, whom he spotted finishing off one of only two remaining foes. Two puddles of fog hovered just above the floor across from the knight, where Peach, Zelda and Marth were.

"They were clearly not designed for combat," Meta Knight commented as he dodged a clumsy tackle from the last foe and sliced it in the back. Ivysaur, conveniently stationed, defeated it with a Razor Leaf and a Vine Whip.

The four fog puddles simultaneously swelled and shattered, then disappeared into thin air.

After a long moment, Marth remarked, "The wind has picked up a little," making eye contact with the reddening Ike for a split second.

The mercenary braced himself for a berating, but Meta Knight merely sighed and walked up to one of the glowing panels on top of a console. The others were astounded as to how he was not being battered around by the wind, what with his cape flapping about behind him.

The others joined him around the panel.

"The coordinates for the prescribed trip are shown here," Meta Knight explained, pointing to a set of numbers at the panel's bottom edge. "The grid here is a map. The green shape marks our current position, and the indigo one the point the coordinates specify."

"Is the ship on autopilot or something?" Red asked, peering intently at the glowing figures.

"I believe so." Meta Knight sunk into thought for a long time. "We… may or may not make progress if we see where these coordinates take us. If these coordinates are a rendezvous point, then we may have a chance at interrupting any enemy plans. We are nearly there, anyway.

"Does anyone have any objections?"

He let the group ponder the idea, patiently awaiting their response, and in due time was met with three shakes of the head.

"So?" he inquired, turning to Lucas, Zelda and Peach, whom had not responded. Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but Meta Knight already knew.

"Do you doubt our capabilities?" he said, fixing them with his amber gaze. "Look how far we have come on our strength alone. Sometimes, we must take gambles if we are to have a fighting chance."

"Well, we are the minority…" Peach said solemnly. She looked at Zelda, who gave a barely perceptible nod.

"Lucas?"

Meta Knight's addressee stiffened. He eventually found his voice and said, "We can give it a shot."

"Splendid." Meta Knight parted from the congregation to examine the other consoles. Some he left alone, others he flipped a switch, turned a knob or pushed a button.

"What do you think happened to that being you sent out the window?" Marth asked Ike, looking curiously at the cloudy, moonlight-tinged night sky outside. This question prompted the group to move to the window. TheHalberd's exterior had enough lights installed to see its features, though what lay beyond was a different story.

They peered down at the landing platform near the bow of the ship.

"Hey…" Zelda said softly, pointing to a cluster of figures that were standing with a lone black figure. "Who are they?"

*.*.*.*.*

"I'm sorry, but we're not accepting any visitors at the moment."

Mario frowned incredulously, then realised he was staring rather rudely up at the man in front of him.

"Why?" the plumber asked.

The man scratched the back of his head. "There's a… situation. We're closing off the village to outsiders for safety's sake."

"Infernape!" the primate at his side hooted, its fiery crown atop its head licking the darkness and lighting up the surroundings. Kirby took a particular interest in the creature and soon became mesmerised by its undying flame.

"But we were competing in the Smash Brothers' Tournament!" Mario pressed. "We can handle things if need be."

"Uh… I wasn't given any instructions to give you guys special clearance," the man said. "So you'll have to find another place to stay."

Link stepped forward. "Is the situation that bad?" he said. "We're running low on supplies and we're not so familiar with the area."

The man placed a hand on his goateed chin. The Infernape at his side shifted restlessly.

"You can't spend the night here," he finally said, "but I'll tell you what." He looked up to the significantly brightened faces of the travelling party. "I'll send my Infernape to gather something for you. It shouldn't be a significant interruption."

The Infernape squawked and nodded proudly.

The man noticed the uncertain gleam in Mario's eye and chuckled. "Don't worry, he's a capable and trustworthy companion. He's been with me through thick and thin – ever since I was a kid."

Mario heard no protests from the others, so he said gratefully, "Alright, thank you so much". He dug into the rucksack and drew out a handful of coins to hand to the eager Infernape. The Pokémon snatched up the coins in one hand and saluted with the other.

"Any requests?" the man inquired, scanning the group.

Mario silently surveyed the group again and said, "No, just enough to last us another twenty-four hours."

The Infernape bobbed its head, met the man's eyes, and then scurried up the path. It soon disappeared behind the tree line, leaving the travellers and the man with only the light from Pit's bow.

A cool wind picked up and stirred the forest in front of them, though the wildlife remained eerily silent.

"So…" Pit said cautiously, "what exactly is the situation? I can't hear a thing from where we're standing."

"Honestly, I'm not so sure myself," the man replied, casting his eyes down at his feet. "All I was told was to station myself here and suspend all passage in and out of the village. Though what I do know is that this is what I'm supposed to do when there's a 'red alert'."

"Red alert?" Mario exclaimed. "Then can't we help out?"

The man sighed, and said, "We already have a bunch of visitors who dropped in a few days ago. For all I know, they're somehow tied to this… situation."

"Did they mention anything about the Tournament?" Link questioned.

"No. There is something about them though, something hard to place that makes them subtly stand out from a crowd. They have a certain aura about them."

"But we can't see them?"

The man shook his head.

Link exhaled in defeat and looked at Mario, who shrugged. Yoshi garbled sadly from behind.

"Pyooo," Kirby drawled.

"Yeah, it sucks," Pit agreed.

They waited in the darkness, occasionally casting eyes up at the overcast sky and not exchanging much conversation. Several minutes passed before the Infernape returned with a neatly wrapped parcel.

"Good job, Infernape," the man said, giving it a pat on the shoulder.

"Ape," the Pokémon said. It held up the parcel for Mario to accept.

"Thank you," the plumber said, taking the parcel and placing it inside the rucksack. "Even if we can't stay, you don't know how much peace of mind you've given us."

"Aw, it's nothing," the man muttered humbly with a grin. "Helping folks is what folks do, especially when they have Pokémon to help them."

"Infernape!" his fiery companion affirmed.

"Say, just because visitors aren't allowed in doesn't mean you can't stay right here. You can set up camp just outside the forest, to the side of the path. I'm sure people won't mind."

Mario shook his head. "We'd like to, but we should be covering as much ground as possible while we still can."

"You on a mission?" The man's interest was piqued, and the Infernape was bouncing on its heels in anticipation of a story. He waved a hand. "Don't spare me the details if you're in a hurry, though."

"Yeah, we should get going," Mario conceded.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by something that had caught his attention.

"What's that?" he finally asked, pointing over Mario's shoulder.

Mario and the others spun on their heels and saw a distinct shadow floating in the sky, not very high above the ground. Cyan lights sprung out from one end.

"Pyo?!" Kirby cried, blinking furiously in disbelief. "Poyo pyo!"

"What is…" Mario began. Then, he thought for a moment. "Is it the Halberd?"

Kirby nodded vigorously.

"I don't understand," the man said. "Do you guys know what it is?"

"It's a flying battleship," Mario explained. "It has drawn our attention several times today. We've been on the lookout for it."

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's bad, because that ship is why we are here and not at the Smash Brothers' Stadium," Mario said ruefully. "It has brought us no good fortune today."

The man was now tense and obviously flustered. His Infernape was no less unperturbed, shifting from one foot to the other so often that it was nearly hopping on the spot.

"Um… right," the man finally said. "If you want to catch it, then go. I'm merely holding you back."

"Yes. Sorry about this sudden development," Mario apologised. He marched in front of the others and announced, "Let's go."

He began walking off, followed by the others. He turned back around and called, "Thank you again, and goodbye!" The others also voiced their thanks.

"Good luck!" the man shouted as he and his Infernape waved back. "Oh, wait!"

They halted.

"Do you want me to keep our meeting confidential?"

"You can share whatever information is requested," Mario assured him. He tipped his hat in farewell, and then left the two villagers alone.

They moved at a light jog toward the Halberd, which appeared to be hovering in place.

"Do you think somebody is boarding the ship?" Pit whispered, as if in fear of some unwelcome entity overhearing.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Link replied quietly.

The battleship remained where it was, and they were not sure whether to be more relieved or agitated. Was it waiting for them? Did the enemy know they were here?

Their minds were caught in a tornado of possibilities, and they became so preoccupied that they did not notice the smaller cyan light approaching them at ground level until a voice beckoned them:

"Adventurers – seekers of truth."

At those ominous words, the three humanoids immediately drew their weapons, standing their ground while Yoshi and Kirby hung back.

Mario, with his hand aflame, demanded, "Do not move! Do you work alone, or are you allied?"

He soon spotted the voice's owner a few feet away. The firelight reflected off a metallic body, but the it was not enough to completely illuminate the figure.

"I am allied, though precariously so."

"You got that right!" a cynical voice spat from the darkness.

Link leapt forward with the Master Sword raised. "Nobody move!" he yelled, reinforcing Mario's warning. "Who are your accomplices?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," the figure said, its robotic voice quavering ever so slightly.

"Don't play games. Who are you, and what do you want from us?"

The figure heaved a whirr.

"My name is ROB, and I have a proposal. I ask that you join us and board the battleship Halberd."


* It's an obscure inside joke. Nyaaa~ Ctrl+F if you lost where the asterisk was ;)

In response to...

iBeebs: Thanks for dropping by and reviewing! I try to make it look like I know what I'm talking about ._.
Guest: Hey, bro, it seems you're reviewing from about ten chapters back. I've done a little research since then, but it is reassuring to hear that coming straight from somebody :3

ZombieAxeHero: Aha, I'm happy you're enjoying Meta Knight! But about Snake...

This brings me to an important detail that I feel I should reiterate. I had always planned to EXCLUDE SOME CHARACTERS that are present in the original SSE because their numbers are so great, and that I feel the plot can roll along with a few omissions – apart from picking fights and providing some additional manpower, they generally don't take noteworthy roles. I'm pretty sure this is disappointing to some, but don't fret! I'll be including them in a SEPARATE STORY that ties into this one – a side story, if you will. This was also planned. You'll see several familiar faces there. And no,I don't have anything against these characters.

So what do you readers think of this? Saddening? Exciting? Illogical? I'd like to hear, but please refrain from flaming…

Well, I'm gonna do something new. Remember how I asked about the previous chapter's name (Shadow Dragon)? These are the reasons:

+ Marth's in the chapter;

+ Marth (well, technically I) previously compared the airbourne Halberd to a dragon's silhouette, and;

+ The 'shadow dragon' is a metaphorical manifestation of the characters' uncertainty. It's like the shadow of a fierce monster – it cannot directly harm them, but it is constantly at the back of their minds – shadow of a doubt, anyone?

Haha... Please excuse my nerdery, or do you guys want me to keep explaining some of the chapter titles? You can respond through reviews or PMs. :)

Oh yeah, my poll. It's as divided as oil and water, so I gave up on it – it is now CLOSED. The results did help, though -.-

Long A/N is long. Longer-than-usual (much longer) chapter is to make up for the sudden hiatus. Hope you had a blast. 'Til the next update!